Steering wheel input/interactive surface

ABSTRACT

The steering wheel input is a flexible, interactive input, based on a touch-sensitive surface. Groups of functions are available from many positions of hands and fingers, gripping and controlling the steering wheel. For example travel directions indicators, headlight flashing/dipping and windscreen wipers can be controlled without having to raise the hand from the steering wheel. The keypad of a mobile telephone can also be simulated. PDA inputs can be carried out. A computer keyboard can be simulated Continuous encompassment of the hands is corrected by computer. The touch areas are continuously and dynamically adapted in the relationship thereof with respect to the balls of the hands or the thumb and fingers. This concept produces ergonomically appropriate and dynamically updated touch areas.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No.13/020,833, filed Feb. 4, 2011, which is a divisional of U.S.application Ser. No. 11/541,500, filed Sep. 29, 2006 now U.S. Pat. No.7,898,530 issued Mar. 1, 2011, which is a continuation of InternationalPatent Application PCT/EP2005/003338 filed on Mar. 30, 2005 andpublished in German language, which International Patent Applicationclaims priority under the Paris Convention from German PatentApplication DE 10 2004 016 029.5, filed Mar. 30, 2004. The entirecontents of these priority applications are incorporated herein byreference.

Touch-sensitive surfaces can be used for making computer inputs withflexible adaptation to the hands. In this field there are innovativeopportunities which have been unutilized until now. In particular, forthe application on the steering wheel of a vehicle it is appropriate touse versions of the dynamic inputs which are related continuously to theinstantaneous positions of the hands. The switching functions, forexample travel direction indicators, dipping of headlights, wiping,which are the most important in particular for the hands are madeavailable at the steering wheel—cf. FIG. 1 and FIG. 2. The surface ofthe steering wheel can therefore be used for controlling specificfunctions which relate to the vehicle, but it can also be used forcontrolling the telephone or PDA and finally also for controlling apersonal computer by simulating a keyboard which is continuouslydynamically adapted to the hands—cf. FIG. 3—only when the vehicle isstationary for the sake of safety. For the latter application cases,positions of the instantaneous touch zones can be displayed visually.And it is possible for the through connection of a finger to beperceived in a sensitive fashion as a nonlinear profile of force andtravel. Here, variants of the design of such sensitive surfaces areexplained. In particular, touch-sensitive surfaces can be implementedelastically by means of specific fabric-fiber structures which provide anonlinear through-connection behavior which can be perceivedsensitively. Corresponding structural solutions are mentioned. It isalso possible to integrate visual display properties, in particular bymeans of light-emitting fibers or by means of a layer of light-emittingpolymers or “electronic ink”. Such structures can finally also be usedfor separate, mobile computer input devices—cf. FIG. 3 again.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatical view of a first portion of the steering wheelof a vehicle adapted for use as a computer input device having a firstarray of touch-sensitive surface areas according to the presentinvention;

FIG. 2 is a diagrammatical view of a second portion of the steeringwheel shown in FIG. 1 having a second array of touch-sensitive surfaceareas according to the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a diagrammatical view of a portion of the steering wheel of avehicle having touch-sensitive zones for simulating an alphanumericcomputer keyboard;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of the steering wheelshown in FIGS. 1-3;

FIG. 5 comprises top, side and front views of elastic elements, such aspre-formed wires, integrated into one of the layers of material in thevehicle steering wheel;

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a vehicle steering wheelillustrating an alternative manner of integrating elastic elements, suchas pre-formed wires, into one of the layers of material in the steeringwheel; and

FIG. 7 is a top view of the integrated elastic elements, such aspre-formed wires, shown in FIG. 6.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

As shown in the accompanying drawings, the positions of the areas of thehand and fingers which are to be applied to the device are interrogatedin order to generate a basic topography of the maximum ten fingers bymeans of which in turn an assignment topography is calculated for therelevant input face zones. As a result, pressure triggering processesgive rise to respective control signals or alphanumeric signals. Thisassignment topography can comprise different signals for bent, relaxedor extended fingers. It is also still possible to determine the identityof areas of the hand and of fingers, for example by means of a patterndetection system, when the hands are moved or the gripping positionchanged. A plurality of small input face zones is continuouslyinterrogated electronically and analyzed by means of a pattern detectionmethod in order to update the basic topography and assignmenttopography. The input zone, in particular the steering wheel surface, istherefore composed of a plurality of small input face zones in aspecific resolution. The assignment between an instantaneously activatedinput face zone and the control signal or alphanumeric signal which istriggered with it follows the continuously updated assignmenttopography. This is calculated from the available basic topographyaccording to a pattern detection system and from the actually touchedlocations in relation to the previous assignment topography. That is tosay the actually touched input face zones within the grid of theassignment topography firstly trigger a signal and secondly correct theposition of the respective input face zone in the assignment topographyby averaging within an adjustable empirical time period or within anadjustable number of actual activation processes. It is possible forcontinuously corrected characteristic values to be included in thiscalculation. That is to say the assignment topography is adaptedindividually and dynamically to the hands, habits and instantaneousmovement and change in gripping position.

FIG. 3 shows, for example, the surface of the computer input device,here with touch zones of a simulated alphanumeric computer keyboard 30,that is to say with the instantaneous input face zones to which arespective alphanumeric character or a control character is assigned.This optional example of the instantaneous arrangement of the touchzones or of the input face zones shows, by means of ellipses, theinstantaneous basic topography of the ten fingers 32 and the position ofthe hand rest surfaces 34. And the illustrated alphanumeric charactersmark the instantaneous assignment topography which, if appropriate, canalso be displayed by means of a display unit. This figure shows a viewof the input face which is, for example, developed from the steeringwheel.

In this concept which can be used in particular for the steering wheel,the areas of the hand positioned on the steering wheel, in particularthe balls of the hand 34, also contribute to the process of determiningthe basic topography. The individual and dynamic adaptation of theassignment topography is in particular possible for an extensivecomputer keyboard (only when the vehicle is stationary for the sake ofsafety), for PDA keypads and for mobile phone keypads, for touch zonesarranged in longitudinal rows and primarily for simple touch zonesaround an index finger and a thumb, which can also differentiate touchzones for bent fingers from those for extended fingers

This concept can in particular be applied by means of a touch-sensitivesurface which can integrate tactile feedback in the through-connectionbehavior in a sensitive fashion and can also integrate visualfeedback—for use in a stationary vehicle—with display properties (seebelow). It is additionally possible to agree a double click in order toprovide the possibility of differentiating desired triggering fromunintentional contact.

This concept provides data input possibilities for moving hands. Inputsof the devices of the data communication and control activities whichare related to the vehicle take place on a homogeneous orquasi-homogeneous surface which acts as a plurality of input faces. Thedifferentiation between a change in the hands and fingers which is notintended to be a data input—for example when changing the grippingposition on the steering wheel—and the intentional triggering ofpressure by the hands which has been carried out in order to input datacan either be recognized from the type of deviation of the positions andpressure-triggering processes with respect to the instantaneouslyapplicable basic topography or should be characterized, for example, asa double click.

This concept provides in particular four applications:

-   -   1.) The input face simulates a computer keyboard. For example, a        sensitive steering wheel surface can then be used as a computer        keyboard, when the passenger car is stationary. For the purpose        of initialization it is sufficient to position the ten fingers.        The necessary deviations from the basic topography which are        necessary to trigger signals can remain relatively small because        this system can also operate in this way. This system which is        capable of learning can also recognize very small distances, for        example between normal and extended finger positions as        sufficient. In this way a computer keyboard also fits onto the        surface of a steering wheel.    -   2.) The input face simulates a PDA keypad or mobile phone        keypad.        -   A) For the purpose of initialization by means of, for            example, two to five—or up to ten—fingers which have been            positioned in a spread-out fashion, the extent of the            standard mobile phone keypad is predefined. When two            pressure locations are perceived it is possible, for example            by means of the presetting of the system, to assume that the            fingers are an index and a middle finger, from which the            position of the other fingers follows. In this sense it is            also possible to interpret three, four or five pressure            locations per presetting in a self-evident fashion.        -   B) Alternatively, for the purpose of initialization, that is            to say for acquiring the basic topography, the steering            wheel is held tight with one hand and, for example, two to            five fingers of the other hand are spread out. The basic            topography follows from this, and ultimately the assignment            topography.    -   3.) The input face provides approximately ten input face zones        which are arranged in longitudinal rows, i.e. touch zones which        control, in particular, a PDA or a mobile phone. By means of,        for example, two to five—or up to ten—fingers which are        positioned in a spread-out fashion it is possible to predefine        the extent of the touch zones for the purpose of        initialization—see also item 2. The basic topography follows        from this, and ultimately the assignment topography. A distinct        distance in the centre separates the input face zones of the        left and right hands.    -   4.) The input face interprets, in particular, the touch zones        around the index finger and thumb as controlling input face        zones. In this way it is possible, for example, to control        travel direction indicators, means for setting headlights to        full beam and for dipping them and windshield wipers, without        removing one's hand from the steering wheel. In order to perform        initialization it is sufficient to grasp the steering wheel in        the usual way. Continuous changes in the gripping position of        the hands is corrected and adapted computationally. The        detection of the control signal of a finger is relatively simple        here because the basic topography can be continuously detected        by means of the supported hand, that is to say in particular by        means of the supported balls of the hands. The presettings may        be, for example, as follows:        -   A) For the control of the direction indicator display the            following applies, for example, double click on the loosely            extended left-hand index finger as a “left-turn” travel            direction indicator and double click on the loosely extended            right-hand index finger as a “right-turn” travel direction            indicator. The occasionally necessary switching off of the            travel direction indicator can then be carried out by a            double click on a position approximately centrally between            the two basic positions of the hands or can be cancelled by            a further double click.        -   B) For example the headlight can be set to full beam by a            double click by the slightly bent left-hand index finger.            The beam can be dipped by a double click by the left-hand            thumb.        -   C) For example the windshield wiper can be switched to a            faster speed—from the intermittent setting to normal setting            and to a fast setting—by double click by the slightly bent            right-hand index finger. The windshield wiper can be            switched to a slower speed by a double click by the            right-hand thumb.        -   D) Alternatively the most important control functions of the            vehicle can be triggered with just one hand on the steering            wheel. In order, for example, to have the right hand free            for switching or other operations it is possible to activate            the most important control functions with the left hand—cf.            FIGS. 1 and 2. As diagrammatically shown in FIG. 1, the            upper portion of the steering wheel 10 facing the driver may            be provided at instantaneous touch zones for the left-hand            thumb positioned towards the hand 12, in the relaxed            position 14, and extended from the hand 16. Similarly, as            shown in FIG. 2, the upper portion of the steering wheel 10            facing away from the driver may be provided with            instantaneous touch zones for the middle finger of the            left-hand in the non-extended 18 and extended 20 positions,            and for the index finger of the left-hand in the            non-extended 22 and extended 24 positions. The assignments            for these touch zones can be set individually. For example,            the double click by the loosely extended left-hand middle            finger of the travel direction indicator can mean “turn            left” and the double click on the loosely extended left-hand            index finger as a travel direction indicator can mean “turn            right”. The dipped headlights and wipers can be activated,            for example, by the left-hand thumb.        -   E) The essential identification of the thumbs and index            fingers follows from the currently available basic            topography. Moreover, in this example it is only necessary            to differentiate between slightly bent and loosely extended            index finger. This differentiation can take the form of the            individual and dynamic adaptation of the system, i.e. it can            ultimately be “trained” and reduced by the            “learning-enabled” system to a small and convenient            difference. Hazardous control signals should not be possible            here for safety reasons, i.e. for example it should not be            possible for this system to switch off the headlights or to            completely switch off the windshield wiper. (Both of these            would then have to be done by customary switches on the            dashboard). It is possible to agree, for example, a            quadruple click by an index finger as a means of activating            the entire system.

In order to differentiate between an unintentional movement as againstintentional pressing in order to trigger a control signal it ispossible, for example, for the double click to apply as a presettingwhich relates in particular in applications 2, 3 and 4. In the case ofuses with frequent movement and relatively large changes in the grippingposition of the hands, for example when steering a motor vehicle, thedouble click can therefore be agreed in order to actually trigger acorresponding control signal, for example setting the headlights to fullbeam.

On top of this, large movements of the areas of the hand, in particularof the balls of the hand, can be checked and recognized by a patterndetection system which determines the identity of the areas of the handsand fingers from the topology of large and small pressure areas and thussupplements the determination of the basic topography. Each change ingripping position requires renewed checking or, as it were, renewedinitialization of the basic topography.

The sensitive steering wheel surfaces or input devices which can becontinuously adapted for individual hands and instantaneous situationscan be implemented, in particular, as fabric in a number of variants. Itis possible to use and combine fabric types or layers which (a) react inan electrically effective fashion on contact, for example through ameasurable change in resistance or capacitance, (b) provide sensitive,tactile feedback during a through connection and (c) fabrics or layerswhich provide visual feedback, for example fabrics with light-emittingfibers. These fabric types or layers are either placed one on top of theother or the aforesaid qualities are integrated into a complex fabric.The solutions specified here therefore (a) make the input facetouch-sensitive or approach-sensitive to a plurality of fingerspositioned simultaneously, (b) they provide a perceptiblethrough-connection behavior and (c) they simultaneously make theinstantaneously effective characters visually recognizable in theirarrangement on the input area. They are thus in a certain competitionwith customary computer keyboards and with customary touch screens orinteractive displays. The provision of both sensory input qualities andvisual display qualities in one area is appropriate in order to adaptthe interface in a continuously dynamic fashion to hands, handlinghabits and situations.

The important factor is therefore to make the input face zones whichrespectively apply to the characters at a particular time visible withan appropriate resolution. It is thus already sufficient to providevisual characterization of the assignment locations or of the variousinput face zones, for example through textile fibers which can beilluminated, in order to mark this instantaneous assignment topography.At best, the characters or control instructions can be displayed withfine resolution, for example by means of “electronic ink” or very finetextile fibers which can be illuminated or by organic LEDs. “Electronicink” is currently being developed, for example, by Xerox and E-Ink.These computer input devices can therefore be coated with a layer of“electronic ink” or light-emitting polymer, in particular OLED, in orderto visually display the instantaneous assignment between the input facezone and the respective character. This applies both to a steeringwheel, which can also be used for example, as, a computer keyboard in astationary vehicle, and to another computer input device.

The properties of such a device or of such a method therefore vary inthe range between, on the one hand, a keyboard-like surface which doesnot provide any visual information, or only very simple visualinformation, and, on the other hand, a high quality visual touch screen.The solutions explained here can ideally also differentiate a pluralityof fingers simultaneously. It can also be sufficient for just part ofthe visually displayed area—in particular the lower part—to representthe aforesaid instantaneous arrangement of the characters while theother—upper—part of the area serves only as a screen. Different variantswhich respectively make compromises between optical and tactilequalities, are conceivable.

In particular the following solutions with particular properties aresuitable as a steering wheel cover and as a lightweight andtransportable computer input device.

These fabrics can be implemented, inter alia, by laying certain types offabrics one on top of the other: one type made of touch-sensitive fibersor lamellas which is effective electrically or through changes inelectrical capacitance, if appropriate a separate fabric type of tactilefeedback of the nonlinear through-connection behavior, and a furtherfabric type with display properties, which fabric type acts, inparticular, by means of light-emitting fibers. These fabrics can belinked to one another at specific intervals in such a way that anappropriately precise assignment between touch-sensitive input facezones and visually recognizable display zones is brought about.

These fabrics can be implemented in particular by this input face beingcomposed both of touch-sensitive fibers or lamellas which are effectiveelectrically or electrostatically or through changes in electricalcapacitance and of fibers with a light-emitting capability which arewoven thereto. These light-emitting fibers act as visually recognizabledisplay zones and indicate the instantaneous assignment between theinput face zone and respective character visually.

Specifically shaped fibers or lamellas which have a specific flexuralrigidity or torsional rigidity and which have a nonlinear behavior inthe proportion—which can be perceived by the fingers—of the applicationforce to the spring travel can be woven into these touch-sensitivefabrics or into adjacent fabric layers: after a certain small springtravel, the further application force no longer increases but ratherstays the same or decreases again. As a result, a through connectionwhich can be clearly felt in a sensitive fashion is provided in thesense of a toggle lever effect.

This effect can be achieved in particular by weaving in elastic fibersor lamellas 40 with an appropriate pretension which form small archeswhich protrude slightly out of the surface of this fabric layer 42 andcan be pressed in elastically by the pressure of a finger. This fabriclayer can be supported on adjacent fixed fabric layers 44 and 46.

Within the fabric layers, “action reaction” applies to the activation ofsuch a point on this input face. That is to say the force applied by afinger is passed on through a plurality of fabric layers and the fabricwith the aforesaid sensitive feedback can be introduced as any of thefabric layers. This position does not have to be identical to the fabriclayer which produces the signal. It is thus perfectly possible for thefunctions of the tactile feedback and of the electrically effectivedeformation to be installed in separate layers.

One simple variant with, in particular, metallic fiber with a circularcross section which, as described below, is specially preformed, has tobe supported laterally by the spatial fabric.

In contrast, in the “lamella arches” variant a lamella-like semifinishedproduct is woven in. As described below and illustrated in FIG. 4,specially shaped ribbons or lamellas 40 are woven into one of the fabriclayers. The lamella arches formed in this way are stable in the lateraldirection owing to their cross-sectional profile, as a result of whichtheir spring travel is directed predominantly perpendicularly to theinput face. In each case an elastic lamella arch produces an input facezone which can be perceived in a tactile fashion. It is supported with ahinge-like, relatively tight curvature in each case at the bottom on oneor more transversely extending fibers 48 in order to ensure thatspringing back occurs after activation. These transversely extendingfibers 48 conduct the horizontal forces into a lowertensile-force-resistant layer.

These arches should be composed of fibers, lamellas or ribbon which arepreformed in such a way that in each case a downward and an upwardcurvature and again a curvature in the initial direction occur along thesurface at specific intervals, said curvatures forming slight archesduring the fixing of every second, in particular every third or fourthor fifth of these curvature points in the fabric, and when pressure isexerted by a finger said arches experience downward spring compressionlike an overloaded bridge arch and are also compressed in a longitudinaldirection without moving out laterally to an appreciable degree in ordertherefore to support, through their ratio of the height of thesecurvature points to the length of the material located between them andthrough the compressibility in the approximately horizontal direction,the spring compression of an arch with a toggle lever effect. This istherefore a type of extended zigzag form or else with more gentle radiia type of wave form. Cf. FIG. 4. For example, two arches with, forexample, four of these zigzag sections each can be implemented percentimeter so that a fingertip continuously touches at least one ofthese microswitches. Basically, it is also possible to position two—ormore—of these feedback fabric layers approximately offset one on top ofthe other in order to achieve finer resolution.

Between the bindings by means of the transverse fibers there aretherefore a plurality—for example two, three or four—of the aforesaidcurvature sections unattached and they permit the spring compression ofthis arch with a certain toggle lever effect: as the pressure on thearch increases it experiences a spring compression, and with furtherspring compression it loses its load bearing capacity—in the directionperpendicular to the input face—and can finally experience springcompression without a relatively large application force and can movedown onto transversely extending fibers located below it.

Instead of the aforesaid continuous zigzag shape or wave shape, thosecurvature sections which are bound into the tensile-force-resistantfabric layer can also continuously already be made slightly higher inthe preforming process that those located between them. As a result,such an arch experiences spring compression somewhat further whenactivation occurs and has a somewhat clearer toggle lever effect.

For example, the variant with two or four free curvature sections withinan arch is satisfactorily compatible with the variant with three or fiveor seven fibers which extend transversely below it and lie one next tothe other: this is because the spring compression of a lamella archtouches, with the centre between its curvature sections, in a downwarddirection the electrically conductive central transverse fiber, which ispossibly to be measured, of the three or five or seven transversefibers, which can produce a clear electrical measuring signal. Cf. FIG.4. In the lower fabric area, the other fibers as it were support and fixthe position of the fiber which is possibly to be measured under thecentre of the arch. The advantage of this solution is that at first,without activation, there is a clear distance between the arch and thefiber to be measured, but then when activation occurs a touching orapproaching process gives rise to large differences in measured values.Depending on the method, it is possible (a) for the change in resistancebetween noninsulated conductive fiber elements and arch elements to bemeasured or (b) for the change in capacitance between insulated fiberelements and arch elements to be measured.

The fiber arches or lamella arches can also be supported on one anotherlaterally through a horizontal offset—“phase shifted” in the directionalong the arch—in relation to the respective adjacent arch or lamellaarch. The spring travel is thus guided predominantly in theperpendicular direction to the input face by this lateral support. Andthe tensile stresses can be absorbed within a (lower)tensile-force-resistant layer: in the longitudinal direction the fiberarches or lamella arches can be supported on one another by the forceswhich are tangential to the surface and which occur during pressureactivation compensating one another.

Nom Optionally, the fibers or lamellas with the aforesaid properties offeedback by a toggle lever effect can be woven in two directions—inparticular orthogonal to one another—and thus additionally stabilize oneanother in their position. Small “vaults”, which are respectively formedfrom intersecting fibers or lamellas and which can experience springcompression, are formed.

Within the entire structure, just one of the fabric layers can producethe sensitive feedback. For this purpose, this layer should be composedof a lower fabric area which gives it mechanical stability, inparticular tensile strength, and it should be composed of an upperfabric area which is essentially composed of the electrically effectivefibers or ribbon lamellas to be activated. The upper area has sprungsections by virtue of the fact that fibers or ribbon lamella arches arewoven in small sections which are self-supporting in themselves. Thesetwo aforesaid fabric areas are woven tightly to one another. As anentire unit they form the fabric layer which produces a sensitivelyperceptible feedback for the fingers.

The nonlinear through-connection behavior which can be perceived in asensitive fashion can, for example, also be implemented by means of thefollowing structure: variant “flexural torsion loops”. Referring to FIG.5, a spring wire is preformed in such a way that it repeatedly protrudeslaterally through a tight curvature (1), returns with a tight curvature(2) after a certain distance, at the same time gaining some height,before, at a certain distance from the initial main line—horizontal axisaccording to FIG. 5—at a curvature point (3) it both gains height moresteeply and points to the side in a somewhat more pronounced fashionuntil it reaches a wire section (4) with maximum height, which takes upthe pressure exerted by fingers or areas of the hand. The wire sectionbetween the curvature point (3) and the highest area (4) has a gradientof, for example, approximately 30 to 45 degrees in a side view. And inthe top view is inclined by, for example, approximately 45 degrees withrespect to the main line—horizontal axis. This wire section results,owing to its leverage, in, in particular, a torsion load for the section(2) to (3) which, when activation occurs, even at first allows thisleverage to increase still more so that the torsion loading increasessuperlinearly and promotes the further torsion. If the section (3) to(4) is approximately horizontal in the side view, the effect of rigidityof this design due to torsion is relatively low. This gives rise to theperceptibly gentle through-connection behavior.

The proportion of the rigidity of this design which is brought about bybending also has an area with gentle through connection: in a side viewit becomes apparent that the points (1) and (4) approach one another byvirtue of the fact that the wire sections lying between them are bentelastically. The proportion of the forces in the direction from point(1) to point (4) loses supporting capability considerably under springcompression and its vertically supporting component finally collapsesand provides a toggle lever effect.

The relation between the components of the two effects can be selectedstructurally within certain limits by selecting the angles anddimensions. Thus, it would be possible, for example, to dispense withthe nonlinear torsion effect by connecting the points (2) to (4) of thewire without curvature. Alternatively, the curvature could even beemphasized by integrating a joint additionally into the structuredescribed above, in the region of the point (4).

A further variant of elastic elements is composed, in particular, of thepreformed wire or lamella element—“cantilever” variant: elements whichare frequently integrated into the input face cf. FIGS. 6 and 7—areconstructed in such a way that part of a respectively acutely angledcantilever 60 is subjected to tensile loading and another part 62 ofthis cantilever is subjected to compressive loading. The latter producesflexural loading through lateral protrusion of this second part 62 sothat when the cantilever is activated approximately perpendicularly withrespect to the input face this protrusion bulges out further elasticallyand the lever thus loses its supporting capability as a result ofleverage which becomes progressively more unfavorable, and finallyyields at a minimum activation force. These elements provide a nonlinearthrough connection which can be perceived sensitively.

It is possible to roll up all these structures by leaving the fiberarches or lamella arches or the bending torsion loops on the outside andstretching them somewhat during the rolling up process.

The interweaving or knitting together of the aforesaid electricallyeffective fibers, lamellas or fabric layers on the one hand and thelight-emitting fibers on the other is possible provided thatelectrically capacitively effective fibers can be insulated, because asufficiently large change in, particularly, the electrical capacitancebetween the fibers is already produced as they approach and can beevaluated as a signal triggering means, but on the other hand theaforesaid visually active display fibers, in particular light-emittingpolymer fibers, emit light at the actual contact points of intersectingfibers and are not to be insulated.

In the computer input devices proposed here it is possible for thevisual display to give rise to interfering electrical or electromagneticfields. However, they can be corrected again and eliminated bycalculation during the evaluation of the input data of thetouch-sensitive and approach-sensitive layer. These possibly interferingchanges in fields are known in principle by virtue of the data to bedisplayed and can thus be corrected for the respective small input facezones.

The signals from this sensitive surface which are to be passed on to acomputer unit can be continuously standardized in the unloaded positionof rest as a “zero signal”. The input device is therefore also to beused in arched layers. It is thus also possible to compensate possiblegradual deformations of the fabric. In the case of the steering wheel,in particular holding it in a static fashion is to be interpreted asbeing position of rest which does not trigger any control signals.Accordingly, sensitive surfaces which are generally made of textiles canbe standardized with various kinds of arching as a neutral outputposition.

1. A computer input device comprising an input face having a pluralityof touch-sensitive input face zones for making selected throughconnections to provide signals to a control unit coupled thereto,characterized in that the touch-sensitive input face zones of the devicefurther comprise fabric layers having fibers, wires, or lamellasintegrated into a touch-sensitive layer or adjacent fabric layers,wherein the integrated fibers, wires or lamellas are configured toprovide a non-linear response to the application of force by a user'sfingers to the input face zones such that after a certain smalldepression thereof, further depression requires the application of forcethat stays the same or decreases to produce said through connection,thereby providing tactile feedback similar to a toggle-lever effect tothe user of the activation of said through connection; and furtherwherein the touch-sensitive input face zones are defined in accordancewith a repetitive configuration of said integrated fibers, wires, orlamellas that is substantially continuously distributed throughout theinput face area of the device.
 2. The computer input device as claimedin claim 1, characterized in that the integrated fibers, wires, orlamellas comprise ribbon-like material having a flat cross-section thatare woven into one of the fabric layers with appropriate pretension toform repetitive small arches which protrude slightly out of the surfaceof the fabric layer and when pressed in elastically by the pressure of afinger spring downwardly to provide a through connection.
 3. Thecomputer input device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that theintegrated fibers, wires, or lamellas are preformed in such a way that aseries of downward and upward curvature sections occur along the surfacerepeatedly at specific intervals so that during the weaving processslight arches are formed from groups of said curvature sections which,when pressure is applied by fingers, spring downwardly and also compressin the longitudinal direction, without moving out appreciably in thelateral direction.
 4. The computer input device as claimed in claim 1,characterized in that the integrated fibers, wires, or lamellas arewoven in two directions, orthogonal to one another, and are linked toone another to stabilize their position.
 5. The computer input device asclaimed in claim 1, characterized in that one of the fabric layers iscomposed of a lower fabric zone which gives this fabric layer amechanical stability in tensile strength, and an upper fabric zonecomprising the integrated fibers, wires, or lamellas, and furtherwherein the lower and upper fabric zones are woven to one another. 6.The computer input device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in thatthe activation of said through connection causes a part of saidintegrated fibers, wires, or lamellas to approach an electricallyconductive, transversely extending fiber, located in an adjacent layer,which produces a measurable change in capacitance, to thereby producesaid signal.
 7. The computer input device as claimed in claim 6,characterized in that the integrated fibers, wires or lamellas arefurther interwoven with light-emitting fibers, and further wherein theelectrically capacitively effective fibers are insulated and thelight-emitting fibers are not insulated.
 8. The computer input device asclaimed in claim 1, further comprising an upper plastic layer consistingof a translucent plastic.
 9. The computer input device as claimed inclaim 1, characterized in that said input face zones are covered with alayer of electronic ink or with a layer of light-emitting polymer, inparticular OLED, in order to indicate visually an assignment between theinput face zone and a respective character or control function.
 10. Thecomputer input device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that theintegrated fibers, wires, or lamellas are configured to form repetitivecantilever elements that are constructed in such a way that onecantilever element is acutely angled to another cantilever element,wherein said one cantilever element is subjected to tensile loading andsaid another cantilever element is subjected to compressive loading toactivate said through connection.
 11. The computer input device asclaimed in claim 1, wherein the layers or fabric layers combine aplurality of interactively effective properties including tactilefeedback regarding activation of the through connection, and visualfeedback regarding variable assignments between input face zones andcharacters or control functions.
 12. The computer input device asclaimed in claim 11, characterized in that a fabric with electricallyeffective touch-sensitive fibers or lamellas and a fabric with displayproperties, in particular with light-emitting fibers, are laid one ontop of the other in order to display visually an instantaneousassignment between an input face zone and a respective character orcontrol function.
 13. The computer input device as claimed in claim 11,wherein the fabric layers comprise both touch-sensitive fibers orlamellas which are effective electrically, electrostatically or by meansof changes in electrical capacitance, and fibers with a light emissioncapability which are woven thereto, said fibers with a light emissioncapability acting as a plurality of visually recognizable display zonesin order to display visually an instantaneous assignment between theinput face zone and respective character, this assignment correspondingto a continuously variable assignment topography through continuousdynamic adaptation to the locations which are actually touched by theuser's fingertips.
 14. The computer input device as claimed in claim 11,characterized in that the input face zones are covered with a layer ofelectronic ink or with a layer of a light-emitting polymer, inparticular OLED, in order to indicate visually an instantaneousassignment between the input face zone and a respective character orcontrol function.
 15. The computer input device of claim 1, wherein thedevice consists of a steering wheel or steering wheel element, andcharacterized in that the touching of the input face zones by areas ofthe hand, in particular by the balls of the hand and by fingers isrecognized as being by areas of the hand and fingers and used tocalculate the identity of the individual fingers and thus to calculate atemporarily valid basic topography for the areas of the hand and for thefingers with respect to the input face zones.
 16. The computer inputdevice of claim 11, characterized in that the determination of a basictopography for the hands of the user with respect to the input facezones takes place in an initialization phase on the basis of thepositioned hands of the user and is then continuously adapted to currentconditions in an operating phase which dynamically assigns a respectivealphanumeric character or a control function to the input face zones.17. The computer input device of claim 15, characterized in that thedetermination of the assignment topography which assigns alphanumericcharacters or control functions to the input face zones is carried outin an initialization process according to a defined system whichcorresponds to one of a customary computer keyboard, a customary keyassignment system for a mobile phone, or touch zones for up to tenfingers which are arranged in a longitudinal row or around the indexfinger and thumb, said zones carrying out simple switching and controlfunctions.
 18. The computer input device of claim 15, characterized inthat a grouping of alphanumeric functions or control functions isavailable from a large number of basic positions of the areas of thehand and fingers with respect to the input face zones, the assignment ofwhich functions to the specific input face zones is continuously anddynamically adapted to individual, instantaneous conditions.
 19. Thecomputer input device of claim 15, characterized in that at least twopredetermined control functions can continuously be activated from alarge number of positions of the areas of the hand and fingers withrespect to the input face zones by means of the index finger, middlefinger or thumb of the left hand or the right hand.
 20. The computerinput device of claim 1, characterized in that an instantaneously validassignment of characters or control functions to the input face zones isdisplayed visually to the user.